


Green is for Hope

by Ekevka



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Gen, Gift Giving, I hope the ending is hopeful enough, M/M, Pre-Relationship (more or less)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:01:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29240247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ekevka/pseuds/Ekevka
Summary: In another life that'll be a start of a beautiful relationship.It still could be.
Relationships: Galen Erso & Bodhi Rook, Galen Erso/Bodhi Rook
Comments: 6
Kudos: 7
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 6





	Green is for Hope

**Author's Note:**

  * For [saltedpin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/saltedpin/gifts).



“Sir! Sir!” a familiar voice called from behind.

Galen turned around and finally recognised Bodhi Rook not by his face, but by that hopeful smile that seemed for some reason to light up whenever Galen was near.

“Yes?” he replied, sounding more indifferent than he felt.

“I apologise if that’s inappropriate, but I’ve overheard Director Krennic mention that it was your nameday just last week?” Rook was breathing heavily as if he ran around the compound looking for Galen.

It was probably so: pilots had a very short window to rest and then head back, and Galen felt sorry for Rook spending it all on him.

“Yes,” he replied and motioned to his office. “Come in, let’s talk more privately”.

“Of course, sir,” Rook was still smiling.

Galen was somewhat unnerved by this smile: it reminded him of how Lyra could smile at him, back when they were just flirting, back when he wasn’t quite responding. 

“Since you’ve mentioned my naming day,” Galen said and picked an unopened bottle of Alderaanian wine - one of Krennic’s presents, objectively good but not what Galen preferred. “Would you mind a glass of wine?”

“I… I would love to, actually,” Rook took a deep breath, but then stopped.

“You are not flying back?” Galen asked teasingly, swiftly opening the bottle.

“I am, but as a second pilot. I can fly second in my  _ sleep _ ,” Rook straightened up, brown eyes sparkling with confidence and pride.

Galen busied himself with glasses, cleaning them unnecessary, - anything to avoid staring. Rook was not Lyra, nor Krennic, he wouldn’t like stares.

“Then a glass won’t hurt?” Galen asked again.

“No. We have an empty flight to Jedha and no one would do anything to me on Jedha, I’m a  _ local _ ,” Rook replied with mirth in his voice.

Galen turned around and gave Rook his glass before realising that Rook was holding out something in return.

“A small gift,” Rook started, now serious. “For serenity and clarity, for peace of mind,” he looked as if he really believed it.

And he held a small kyber crystal in his palm, green and covered in glyphs.

Galen blinked for a few moments - a moment too long, apparently, for Rook had started to close his fingers over the crystal, clearly reading something in Galen’s obviously unguarded expression! - but then Galen put his hand over it. 

“We all need peace,” he said.

Rook nodded, his eyes hopeful.

The crystal was warm in between their hands.

  
  


It became a ritual of sorts: whenever Bodhi - and he definitely became Bodhi in Galen’s mind, although Galen couldn’t say  _ when, -  _ whenever Bodhi could, he stayed for a cup of tea or a glass of wine. Alderaanian finally found its use and Galen himself started sleeping better - although it might have been the crystal’s fault and not directly Bodhi’s influence.

Usually they were talking about something neutral - space, and then Galen listened to Bodhi talk about some of his trips, not quite getting some technical jargon but sooner or later Bodhi could talk down enough that Galen understood. Or crystals and then Galen usually found himself speaking mathematics obscure enough that even his colleagues would require a written formula. Bodhi seemed if not to follow everything then to care about what Galen had to say.

And what Galen didn’t. He couldn’t bring himself to describe the Death Star in any detail, but he said nothing about whatever project the pilots thought the crystals were used for. Galen didn’t even know what lie Krennic fed them - and that became apparent as soon as Bodhi understood just how much energy kyber crystals could generate in a second - far more than anyone would  _ need _ .

Galen remembered that moment well - he got carried away, as usual, and stopped only when Bodhi cautiously touched his hand.

“I don’t think I have the clearance to know that, Galen” he said, smiling ruefully. “Don’t do something you’ll be made to regret.”

“I can never regret talking to you,” Galen replied, trying to sound as sincere as he could.

Judging by the way Bodhi had squeezed his hand, he was successful.

  
  
  


Pilots could and did change: apparently Bodhi was no exception. For several weeks after that calm evening Bodhi either had no time to chat or wasn’t coming to the Eadu faculty at all. 

Galen even went and checked the general schedule, too fearful to attract unwanted attention to Bodhi by asking about him specifically. However, the very fact that Bodhi  _ was _ scheduled to come in a week was enough.

Enough to put a noticeable spring in Galen’s step, enough for him to actually start composing a rough mental sketch of a message he would send to Saw Gerrera - Galen didn’t yet know just how that message could be transferred, but hope was a pesky little thing. It made him again do something to make true the future where Jyn, wherever she was, didn’t have to fight.

Where he would be safe to speak about whatever he wanted with Bodhi.

Where Bodhi and Jyn could meet and get to know each other. Galen was certain… no, he wanted them to like each other. Whether or not they would was up to them - and Galen could only hope.

  
  
  


By the time Bodhi was finally around, Galen had already composed the gist - he couldn’t send large files, nor did he had plans for the Death Star anywhere else but in his head, but Scarif archives held the latest copy and Gerrera Galen knew would be able to acquire them. 

The catch was in making him do so - if someone came to Galen some twenty or more years ago, he wouldn’t believe anyone could build such a thing as a planet destroyer. Gerrera was more jaded, thus even more unlikely to take an end-of-the-world message as an honest thing and not a bait.

Something was missing, some clue Galen honestly forgot, but once Bodhi was close, Galen was irrationally worried about his reaction. 

Bodhi certainly seemed more fidgety and drank his first glass almost in one go - he never did that, instead clearly enjoying every sip! - but was also still obviously thinking about something and thus Galen just sat in silence, unwilling and unable to chatter mindlessly.

“Why?” Bodhi finally asked, and clenched his glass stem. “Why would anyone even plan such a thing, let alone build it?”

“I don’t know,” Galen asked and almost reached for Bodhi’s hand. “I did believe we were thinking of ways to provide cheap power, at first.”

It was Bodhi who touched Galen, his hand reassuringly warm.

“It wasn’t your fault, Galen.”

“I was too gullible, too naive,” Galen leaned into Bodhi’s touch, then put his other hand over Bodhi’s and squeezed in return. “We were friends once, me and Krennic. Even studied together, back on Brentaal.”

“You might still put this knowledge to good use,” Bodhi smiled, warmly as always. “And it’s not your fault if you are manipulated.”

Galen suddenly understood just how he could appeal to Gerrera. Not directly, no - but through Jyn, who was certainly if not directly with Gerrera then close enough. Krennic certainly didn’t find her, so Gerrera was likely helping her hide.

“I should send the message to Jyn, not Saw,” Galen muttered and then froze.

“And here I was wondering if we could do nothing against this monstrosity,” Bodhi was surprisingly understanding. “I have asked around those few weeks, you know. Small things, where one liked to fly, what cargo one liked and so on.”

Galen swallowed, then carefully hugged Bodhi, mindful of the table with bottle and glasses between them. 

“If you say how I can find Saw, whoever that is, I will do it,” Bodhi whispered, barely audible. “For you, Galen.”

“Give me a week to finish the message, then we’ll plan further,” Galen whispered back and moved minuscully closer.

He forgot how good embraces felt.

Force willing, once they pull it off, once the Death Star is stopped, they’ll be free to share all the embraces they’d want.


End file.
